Stainless steel is great and all — easy to clean, sharpens to a razor edge — but there's nothing quite like ceramic if you really want the edge to last. The Kyocera LTD Ceramic Chef's Knife ($120) keeps its Zirconia 206 ceramic edge ten times longer than steel, so you don't have to sharpen it nearly as often as the typical chef's knife. It has an ergonomic pakkawood handle with a stainless steel bolster and rivet that makes it easier to handle, and more comfortable to use. Hand-crafted by experts in Seki, Japan, this knife won't brown foods with use, and resists corrosion.